When exercise leaves you exhausted, rather than refreshed, you may
be over-training. Then again, you may be physically depleted or what the Chinese refer to
as "chi" deficient. Chi simply means energy or vitality. It is that life force
or source of energy that keeps our immune system strong, organ function healthy, and
fatigue away. True chronic fatigue or chi deficiency is more likely if you have any of
these visible signs: 1) Your energy drags all day long, day after day 2) By mid afternoon,
you are always ready for a nap. 3) Exercise makes you tired. 4) You catch every virus cold
or flu that goes around 5) It takes your body and immune system several weeks to fight off
a cold, not days. 6) Eating makes you feel more energized, not sluggish. When chi is
zapped, fatigue can be at an all time high. If this deficiency occurs for some length of
time, it can produce an underlying weakness in the body, along with adrenal depletion.
When this happens, its time to decrease the intensity or duration of your exercise
program, revamp your diet, and add in natural supplements or herbs. Also make sure that
you are getting plenty of uninterrupted sleep and rest. A day off here or there from
work or exercise, wouldnt hurt either, and is not a bad idea.

You can begin to fight fatigue by first scrutinizing your diet. Make
sure it has plenty of nutrient rich, anabolic building, and water increasing foods such
as: oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pancakes, pasta, rice, milk, cottage cheese,
yogurt, tofu, beef, poultry, seafood, and peanut butter. Plenty of dairy is a good idea as
dairy is classified as very nutritive, heavy and moistening, counteracting dehydration,
blood deficiency, and weakness. Good vegetables and fruits that also fall into this
category include: sweet winter squashes, yams/sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes and sauce,
artichokes, zucchini, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, avocado, bananas, oranges,
pineapple, kiwis, dates, figs, purple/red grapes, melons, pears, peaches, plums, and even
lemonade. Avoid living on too many salads, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage,
peas, carrots, beans, berries, cornbread, or even white potatoes which all can drain
energy and dehydrate the body. Make more of your beverages real fruit juice or nonfat
milk, and skip the teas which can be dehydrating and lacking in adequate nutrients.

Excellent adrenal tonic herbs include: marshmallow, licorice root,
rehmannia, fo-ti (He-shou-wu), ginseng (Chinese, Siberian or American), shatavari,
ashwaganda, Solomens seal, slippery elm, codonopsis, wild yam, lycium berries,
longan berries, amalaki, and hawthorne. These can be taken in capsule form or even extract
form. Many natural supplement and herb companies now make formulas with these herbs as the
main ingredients. Just make sure they are listed as the first ingredients on the label,
and make up the majority of the herbs actually listed. (Avoid ginseng, ashwaganda,
amalaki, and hawthorne if you tend to get headaches or migraines. Also avoid ginseng if
you have high blood pressure or any skin disorders such as psoriasis.) The key here is to
take the herbs over a long extended period of time- for several weeks, maybe even several
months to see optimal results. These classification of herbs will help build up the body
and diminish any type of deficiency gradually. Of course, it wouldnt hurt to also
take a good multi vitamin and mineral supplement with extra vitamin C. Oily fatty acid
supplements such as flax seed oil, borage, or evening primrose could also be added.
Seaweeds such as Irish moss and kelp are now available in capsules, and they too can boost
stamina, along with amino acid tablets, and dairy or soy protein and vitamin shakes.

The second class of supplements used for treating fatigue are true
"stimulants" such as ephedra, kola nut, guarana, white willow bark, yerba mate,
and yohimbe bark. These latter herbs are often found in energy rush formulas, as well as
dietary aids, as they all increase heart rate, pulse rate, metabolism. They
"mask" fatigue by stimulating the central nervous system. Even though they
dont truly cure fatigue, they can provide an immediate temporary surge of energy.
Often they are found together in energy supplement formulas called "stacking".
By stacking or combining the herbs together, their effects are increased. I highly
recommend either consulting your health care practitioner before considering them, or
using them in small dosages on an occasional basis, since their side effects in extremely
sensitive individuals can include insomnia, nervousness, hyperactivity, tremors. Ephedra
is the most dangerous of the bunch, and was banned by the FDA recently, as it was linked
to strokes, heart attacks and seizures. Yohimbe is classified as a spicy, warm, energy
stimulating, and drying herb, but should be avoided by people with high blood pressure.
Kola nut and guarana contain considerable amounts of caffeine. White willow bark is the
natural derivative of aspirin, therefore has pain relieving properties, as well as the
natural occurring caffeine found in aspirin. It is also blood thinning and caution should
be exercised if one is already on blood thinning medication. Chromium, not mentioned
before, is a milder, safer alternative. It is a natural occurring mineral used to help
control blood sugar and sugar cravings. It has a mildly stimulating effect, hence the
reason you see it in weightloss or energy increasing formulas. If what youre after
is an immediate temporary "rush", then a good cup of strong coffee may also do
the trick!